There are various types of systems which automatically answer an incoming call and maintain a telephone line connection which are broadly defined as automatic telephone answering devices. These devices include, for example, automatic telephone message recording equipment, message recording systems having remote access message playback, automatic telephone call forwarding equipment, automatic dial-up alarm receiving equipment, automatic answering data entry systems, and other telephone devices used in association with modem equipment.
Messages which are received and stored in a telephone answering device typically include a time stamp which displays the date and time the message was received. The time stamp may include detailed information such as, for example, the year, month, day, hour, minute, and second the message was received by the telephone answering device. However, in order for the telephone answering device to be able to provide all of this information on the time stamp, a substantial amount of code is required which results in the need for increased memory storage capacity within the device.
These telephone answering devices may be connected to a computer which retrieves stored messages in the telephone answering device. A typical computer has its own internal clock and a substantial amount of memory. These computers are also capable of executing complex programs and therefore are able to provide detailed time stamp information. As a result, providing a telephone answering device that has detailed time stamp capabilities in combination with a computer that also has those capabilities is redundant and thus results in unnecessary system costs to perform the desired function. Accordingly, it would be desirable to have a simple and cost effective telephone answering device having minimal memory space and program requirements which communicates with a computer to determine the time of message reception of a telephone message.